Absolute Racing’s Huang, Ghiretti Win In Season Opener

GT World Challenge Asia: Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti Secure Season Opener Victory at Sepang

Sepang, Malaysia – Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti triumphed in the season opener of the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS, driving their Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo to victory after significant strategic calls and performance under pressure.

The race featured a pivotal Full Course Yellow period, which allowed the Porsche to leap ahead of the leading Lamborghini driven by Akash Neil Nandy. Additionally, Nandy’s 3-second longer pit stop due to the Silver class regulations influenced the outcome. Nonetheless, Huang’s qualifying performance from third position set the stage for a dominant race.

Nandy, who started on pole and completed the race solo, finished 6.8 seconds behind the winners but secured maximum points for the Silver class, overcoming pressure from James Yu Kuai in the FAW Audi Team Phantom entry. Yu, teamed with Franky Cheng Congfu, faced challenges post-pit stops, ultimately settling for fourth position.

In the class victories, Kiyoshi Uchiyama and Tsubasa Kondo of Porsche Center Okazaki recorded their first Silver-Am win, while Wang Zhongwei and Liu Hangcheng from Origine Motorsport topped the Am category despite incurring a drive-through penalty.

This victory marked Porsche’s 21st in GT World Asia, tying Mercedes-AMG for the most wins in the series. Nandy also made history as the first driver to win the Silver class solo.

Race Dynamics

The race kicked off with Nandy maintaining his lead after an aggressive first lap, edging out Cheng, Huang, Takayuki Aoki in the 5Zigen Nissan, and Andrés Pato’s Phantom Audi. However, mechanical issues struck Winhere Harmony’s Ferrari, ending its race early and limiting the gap opportunities among the leaders.

Post pit stop, Ghiretti’s swift pace allowed him to execute an undercut on Nandy. Although the Lamborghini was theoretically three seconds ahead, delays during the pit stop sequence allowed the Porsche to assume control, a lead it never relinquished.

Nandy’s primary focus shifted to preserving his second-place standing as Cheng’s new co-driver, Yu, struggled with cold tire performance. Nandy ultimately secured the Silver class win, while Cheng completed the race in third overall.

The final classification saw 5Zigen’s Nissan finishing just behind Audi and Lamborghini competitors. Significant battles ensued for positions fifth through seventh, contributing to a competitive mid-pack.